fault
by Porsche-Cash
Summary: An accident forces Gaara and Kankuro to move to the sea side town of Konoha. Dealing with guilt, hurt and his own past, can he let someone in? A story of growing up and moving on from past hurts. NaruGaa, ShikaKiba.
1. Chapter 1

Pairings: NaruGaa, ShikaKiba

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto –grabs heart- oh god it hurts to say it

AN: Oh god you clicked on it, you clicked on it –glomps you-. I gotta warn ya that there's OOC Gaara for this. Apart from that everything's good so read, review and enjoy.

"blah"- normal speech

"_Blah"_-flashback

-xxx-

The only indicator that there was a new family in the small beachside town of Konoha was the old Ford pick up that pulled up in front of the old house on the outskirts of town. Not many people got a good look at the people that arrived. There were only two people who exited the light blue pick up. A young man with purple tattoo's across his face and a slightly younger red head. The moving van followed them into the drive way in the dead of the night.

The brunette over saw the movers as they unloaded the furniture into the house as the red head retreated from the men and looked through the field behind the property. The large open fields and the woods bordering the property were a distinct change from the desert town of Suna. There was the faint smell of the ocean that could be seen over the fields in front of the property. Even in the dead of night he could hear the crashing of the waves against the shore line. He shivered at the sound.

"_DAD! Dad! Dad? Daddy?" he whimpered in a small voice._

He willed the small voice to the back of his mind as he tried desperately to believe what they had told him.

"_It wasn't your fault, it was either this" his brother said as he waved at the lake "or you. Do you hear me Gaara? It wasn't your fault."_

"Hey Gaara, there you are" the older boy called from the house as he waved his younger brother over.

Gaara timidly moved back to the house as he kept his eyes scanning out for signs of life as he walked back to the house. The house was a converted farm house. The lower level had the front door leading into the kitchen and from there the dining room that led into the lounge room and a hallway to the backdoor and guest bedrooms and the upstairs that was converted to a bedroom and bathroom combo.

"You gotta rest up kiddo, we start school tomorrow" the older said with a grin as he clapped his little brother heartily on the shoulder with a big grin.

"Yeah" Gaara said quietly as he walked through the front door into the kitchen.

"If you don't feel up to going I can call in the morning and make something up if you'd like?"

"It's ok Kankuro, I'll go kay" he said as he walked upstairs to his room.

"If you say so" Kankuro muttered to himself.

Gaara walked up to the top story and flopped down on the bed as he tried to will it away. The voices, the memory, the images all of it burned his brain like a branding iron against flesh and left it forever marked on his memory.

"_Gaara are you ok kiddo?, what happened?"_

"_You can't think we can cover this up do you?"_

"_It was an accident Temari, do you hear me sis? An accident"_

"_He didn't do anything, he was sauced to his eye balls and it was either Gaara or him"_

He willed it all to the back of his mind as he tried to stop the events playing over his mind. The step to the side, the splash and the lack of movement as if he wasn't going to turn over in the water. He wanted to stop all of it going through his head.

Gaara lay awake as the thoughts crossed his mind as he whimpered pitifully in a desperate attempt to make it all stop.

The next morning Kankuro walked into his little brother's bedroom, the door open and the sunlight filtered through the closed curtains. The red head lay on his back with his eyes fluttering beneath the closed lids in a rapid dream state. He was between waking and sleep, trapped in a world that had an escape just with-in reach, yet his fingers could barely touch it.

"Gaara wake up" Kankuro whispered against his ear as he shook his shoulder.

The red head let out a groan and a whimper as his head turned from side to side in terror as he screwed his eyes tighter.

"C'mon Gaara" Kankuro said roughly as he shook the red head awake and the brunette was met with a flying arm to his nose.

"I'm sorry" the red head immediately apologized as he knelt beside his older brother and looked at his blood nose.

"It's ok" Kankuro said as he reached up to ruffle his little brother's hair and he instantly regretted it when he saw the involuntary flinch.

"You know I'm not going to hurt you right?" Kankuro said as he brushed a lock of crimson hair from his brother's face.

"I think so" Gaara said softly.

"I know it'll take a while to adjust to the new way that things are right now, but we'll get there" Kankuro said gently as he dabbed his hand to the blood on his face and grinned "see, it already stopped bleeding, I knew ya couldn't hurt me squirt" Kankuro said jokingly.

"Heeeey" Gaara whined as Kankuro chuckled.

'C'mon I made breakfast" Kankuro said as he helped his little brother up from the floor with a strong pull up.

Gaara followed his older brother down the stairs and into the kitchen. The rich aroma of coffee and the wafting smell of scrambled eggs met his senses as he walked into the room. He couldn't help but let out a low moan at the mix of smells as they assaulted his senses. It had been a while since he had something decent to eat.

"I know we haven't had a proper meal in well… a while, so I thought I might put you at serious risk and cook breakfast" Kankuro said with a grin as he dished the scrambled eggs from the frying pan onto the two waiting pieces of toast on Gaara's plate.

The red head eagerly tore into his plate of food that sat in front of him and thanked what ever God was out there for the meal.

"It's good" Gaara said quietly as he took another mouthful of food and savored the taste.

"Better than Temari's cooking?" Kankuro asked, grinning sheepishly as he took a mouthful.

"Maybe" the red head replied slyly as he took a mouthful and looked out the dining room window.

"A little appreciation would be nice" Kankuro sulked as he finished and collected the plates from the table.

"It was good" the red head reaffirmed as he got up from the table and walked to the sink.

"I got the dishes, just go and get ready for school" Kankuro said to him kindly as he gently nudged the red head away from the sink.

"I know you think you have to coddle me, but you don't" Gaara said as Kankuro switched on the hot water as he added the dish washing detergent.

"I'm not coddling, you can't go to school in just your briefs" the brunette replied as he scrubbed one of the plates.

Gaara's pale skin turned a shade of red as he walked up the stairs. He looked through his wardrobe for something to wear. He eventually picked out a red long sleeved top with black jeans and a black trench coat over the top.

C'mon Gaara lets go!" Kankuro called from the foot of the stairs.

The red head grabbed his black messenger bag off the floor as he ran down the stairs and out the front as Kankuro started his truck. He opened the door and climbed in the leather cold against his back, even with his jacket on. Kankuro put the truck in gear and reversed the car down the dirt driveway and turned onto the main road. Going straight he made a line for school.

"You nervous?" Kankuro asked after a few minutes.

"A little bit" Gaara replied as he looked out at the passing scenery of farms and cottages.

"If things get tough you can hang around with me" Kankuro offered.

"I'll be alright" Gaara replied as Kankuro made a turn into the town.

"I'm serious, I don't want you to be on your own all the time" Kankuro said as he looked at his little brother.

"I think I deserve it" Gaara said softly as he looked down at his feet.

Kankuro turned into the school's car park and parked in an empty space and turned to face his little brother.

"What happened wasn't your fault. It was you or him and quite frankly I much prefer having you here than him" Kankuro said in an effort to console Gaara.

"Thank you" Gaara said softly as one or two tears threatened to leak down his porcelain cheeks.

"Come here" Kankuro said as he pulled his little brother into a hug "I know it's all gone to hell since the accident, but I am here for you ok? I'm your big brother, dealing with your problems is what I'm here for" the brunette said as he grinned and ruffled his little brother's hair.

"I know I'll be ok though" Gaara said as he opened the door of the truck and swung his legs out.

"That's more like it" Kankuro said as he closed the door of his truck and led his brother into the school.

Gaara kept his eyes to the floor, allowing his brother to guide him through the halls. He could here the kids around him, trying to get a look, trying to figure out who they were. Kankuro kept his eyes ahead, ignoring the stares and whispers of the students around him.

Their journey led them to the front door to the principles office. A woman sat at the desk. Her dark hair fell around her in a way that most men would have found cute. Kankuro gave her a visual once over before he walked up to her.

"May I help you?" she asked, her voice resembling her appearance.

"We're here to see Ms. Tsunade" the brunette said as he applied an easy smirk on his features and leaned closer on the desk.

"She'll be ready to see you in a m…minute" the young woman stuttered as Kankuro glided to his seat near the door, a happy grin on his face.

"Mr. Subakuno, I would appreciate if you didn't blatantly FLIRT WITH MY ASSISTANT!" a voice roared from the door the siblings sat next to.

Kankuro stood shakily as the brunette mouthed sorry to him with an apologetic smile.

"DON'T APOLOGIZE SHIZUNE!" the woman roared as Kankuro entered and Gaara followed his brother.

The blonde woman was a sight to behold. Pigtails fell to her shoulders and an empty sake bottle lay on its side on her desk. She clutched her head as she fumbled for a piece of paper. The fact that his brother just had to stare at her chest didn't help matters much.

"Eyes up here brat" the woman snarled as she searched her desk.

"How did she know" Kankuro whispered as she ducked her head for a moment to look in a drawer.

"How could she not, she probably figured that you weren't blind" Gaara replied dryly as she ducked back up.

"Gaara and Kankuro Subaku" she said as she lifted the file from the drawer in her desk and turned to face them

"Both of you moved from Suna due to… a terrible accident a few months ago. Average grades on your part" she said as she nodded at Kankuro "though it's easy to see why. Good grades on your part, both of you should do well, provided you don't flirt with my assistant" she said with a deadly glare.

Her message was very, very clear- HANDS OFF

"Here are your schedules, I strongly suggest you find someone to help you" the blonde woman said as he waved her hand as a sign for them to leave.

They both left and walked into the hall, Kankuro desperately trying not to do the one thing that would drive Tsunade to murder a human being and rather painfully at that.

"C'mon what's your first class?" the brunette asked as they walked down the halls.

"Art with Kakashi Hatake" the red head mumbled.

"Did you just say art?" a voice asked from beside them.

"Yeah" Gaara said as he raised his head a little to look for the source of the voice.

From the way his breath stopped for a second he was glad he found it.

A young boy, no older than Gaara stood in front of him in blue jeans and a black shirt with an orange jacket. Blonde hair standing up in spikes and tanned skin made him stand out. Muscles that had been worked over from hard work or sport stood out against the fabric of his shirt. It was all Gaara could do not to stare.

"I could take you, you're the new kids every ones been talking about right?" the blond asked.

"Yeah, people have been talking about us? What've they been saying? Kankuro asked.

"Oh nothing much" the blond said as he grabbed Gaara's arm and pulled him "just that you're a real hottie" the blond called as he dragged Gaara.

"But personally, I think you're a real cutie, way better than your brother" the blond said as he dragged Gaara with a smile.

Gaara blushed at the blonds comment and felt a slight stab of confidence.

"My names Gaara Subaku" he said as the blond dragged him through the hallways.

"Naruto Uzumaki" the blond said as he pulled Gaara to a classroom.

"C'mon, you can sit with me and my friends" he said as he walked inside and released his grip on the red heads wrist.

"Thanks" Gaara mumbled as he followed the blond to a table with a few people already on it.

A brunette with dog like features and two triangle tattoos's looked up with a grin, as if Gaara were a new toy to play with. A boy with a high pony tale looked up from his arms on the table before he put his head back on them. A young girl with blue black hair and milky lavender eyes looked at him and then at Naruto and a blush formed on her cheeks. The final person was a girl with her hair tied into two separate buns like panda ears and big brown eyes.

Gaara took a seat next to the brunette girl and just watched. He wasn't in the mood for talking, or for questions. He really didn't want to explain the reason why he moved. How could he explain the circumstances surrounding why they had to move so suddenly.

The ringing of the bell sounded Gaara's chance to avoid anymore awkward questions from people, even though he had been spared it was bound to come up.

"Hey Gaara" Naruto called to him.

"Yeah?" Gaara asked as he turned around to face the blond, the same effect was had on his breathing.

"I was wondering if you were doing anything on Saturday?" he asked the red head.

"Uhmm no, why" he replied, wondering where he was going with it.

"I have a question for you. Do you surf?"

-xxx-

AN: Well that's chapter one for ya. I usually suck at starts, but there is a middle that is just full of… lemony _fresh_ coughYAOIcough goodness. Hopefully you enjoy it and remember to review.


	2. Chapter 2

Pairings: NaruGaa, ShikaKiba

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto –grabs chest- it hurts to say it

AN: Oh holy I had no idea how much I neglected this thing. Hopefully my next update won't be nearly as sloppy.

---xxx---

Gaara was completely sprung by the question. He certainly wasn't a surfer; he wasn't even a good swimmer. That and he had no desire what-so-ever to enter a body of water if he could help it. He hadn't even ridden a surf board before. He had no doubt that the blond in front of him was a well accomplished surfer, his body showed it. Gaara didn't have nearly the same level of muscle on his body. He was lean and slim, but not muscular. Besides that his skin would have probably blinded people in the direct sunlight it was that white, almost like porcelain.

"Hey Gaara are you there? Earth to cutie" Naruto teased as he watched Gaara's nervous fidgeting.

Snapped back to the world of the living by the blonds tease he blushed.

"No, I haven't" Gaara replied as he watched the blonds face.

"Well me Kiba and Shikamaru are heading out to the Yondaime tip. You don't have to surf, Shikamaru never does. You can just watch me and my mad skills" the blond gushed as he flexed a bicep and grinned.

The offer was tempting. He would watch the blond for a while as his muscles flexed as he rode over a wave and he got to his feet on the waxed wooden board as he glided into the shoreline.

"Sure" Gaara replied shakily "what time till when?" the red head asked as he subconsciously gripped his right arm with his left hand.

"Well we surf from about 6 till 10 in the morning, just wonder around town till late afternoon and then crash at my place. My Godfather owns a beach house outside of town, great big thing. He never uses it so I say there with Kiba. So you in?" the blond asked with another grin as he waited for Gaara's answer.

"I have to ask, but if I can I will" said Gaara quietly as he walked away from the blond.

"Great hope to see ya there" Naruto called to the red head's retreating back and Gaara couldn't help but let a small smile play at his lips.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully for Gaara. He only had Naruto in one class that day, which turned out to be art. He was slightly annoyed that the blond was only in one of his classes that day and he couldn't seem to find him during lunch.

Eventually the school day finished

Gaara walked out of the school as he walked towards his older brother's truck and waited for the brunette to walk out. He turned his head to the side and caught sight of a blond spiky head of hair and he turned to get a better look at him. Naruto walked on the other side of the fence as Kiba walked beside him.

"Don't look so surprised" came a bored voice from behind him as he turned to see Shikamaru behind him as he watched the two of them walk up the road.

"Surprised about what?" Gaara asked as he fixed his eyes back on Naruto.

"Don't be surprised that he's out there on the other side of the fence. Kiba and Naruto always skip classes together. School just isn't for those two" Shikamaru replied with a lazy sigh as he shook his head.

"What'll they do after school?" Gaara asked.

"My guess is as good as yours, not everyone is cut out for this troublesome stuff" said Shikamaru as he turned on his heel and walked off towards the gate.

Gaara set his eyes back to looking for his brother as he spotted him walking down the steps towards the parking lot. His face split into a grin as he saw Gaara and he got his keys out of his pocket.

"Hey Gaara did you have a good day?" he asked as he unlocked the truck as he slung his bag into the tray on the back.

"Yeah" the red head replied as he dumped his bag back and got into the now unlocked door.

"Hey Kankuro can I ask you something?" the red head queried as he looked up from his shoes to his brother.

"Yeah sure" Kankuro replied as he drove.

"Well you remember that blond guy that showed me to art class today? He sorta asked me down to the beach for the day, then to stay with him during the night" Gaara told Kankuro as he felt a small smile play at his lips at the thought.

"Reeeaaallly?" Kankuro drawled as he stopped at a red light and took a moment to take a look at his brother's blushing face and the small smile he hadn't seen in so long.

Two sides of his brain warred with him. On one hand he was glad to see his little brother smile at the prospect of having a friend and quite possibly this blond could be something more. On the other hand his protective brotherly instincts kicked in and made him consider alternate ideas. Who was this kid? Could he keep Gaara safe? What were his friends like? Kankuro weighed these up with consideration, but one look at his little brother's face had him instantly re-considering.

"You can go" Kankuro told him as the light turned green and he pressed down on the accelerator peddle.

Kankuro smiled as he continued the drive home. He knew that, whilst Gaara wasn't jumping for joy, Gaara was excited to be able to go. Kankuro grinned even wider when he remembered what the blond had said a he lead Gaara away.

"_I think you're a real cutie"_

Kankuro had an idea that the words were on the red head's mind as well as they pulled up the long dirt drive way.

It was three days before Gaara was able to tell Naruto that he was able to accompany him on Saturday morning.

"You can come, that's awesome" the blond exclaimed happily as he grabbed Gaara's hands and did a stupid little dance for joy.

The red head really couldn't help but smile at his new friend's joy as he jumped around him chanting something he couldn't really distinguish from his fast paced speech. He was just glad that, for once, somebody wanted him around and was glad for his company.

Saturday came around quicker than Gaara expected, though it still wasn't quick enough for his liking. Though he wasn't awake when it came around and h was still asleep at six o clock in the morning, though for bad reasons.

"C'mon Naruto" Kiba moaned in the old and battered kombi van outside the house "go in and get 'im" the brunette grumbled.

"Yeah seriously, this is getting troublesome" Shikamaru grumbled as he looked up from his arms to the blond, expecting him to move.

"Fine" Naruto growled as he swung the door open, careful not to slam it to wake up the red head's older brother still asleep.

He crept around to the side of the old house and looked for something he could use to climb. An old tree of some species he had no idea of reached high, almost to the top floor. Above the tallest branch was an open window that could lead to the red head's bedroom.

Naruto cracked his knuckles; he always did enjoy a challenge. He raced up the tree quickly as he reached the top branch. The window was still high up, but if he jumped he could make it. With a spring he grabbed onto the window sill and pulled himself up, careful not to make any noise. He swung his leg over and then other as he landed lightly on his feet and congratulated himself on a good breaking-and-entering.

Naruto looked through the darkness of the room as he tried to make it out. He saw the double bed and a pale figure in it as his eyes swept the room, scanning for signs of life.

"_Gotcha" _Naruto thought to himself as he walked towards the bed, and then stopped as he saw the red head's state.

He was twisting and turning as he lay on the bed; small whimpers punctured his breaths as they came in soft and ragged. His gentle porcelain features were twisted and marred with terror as he whimpered and groaned and his fists claimed a death grip o the sheets.

Naruto was stunned to see the gentle boy in such a state. He wasn't just scared, to Naruto's eyes, he was terrified. Naruto leaned down and tried to figure out what to do. Jolting him awake probably wouldn't work too well, so what did that leave? On instinct he ran his hands through the red locks and marveled at their silkiness.

"Wake up Gaara" Naruto whispered into the red heads ear and suddenly the fragile teen shot up like a fired bullet.

He spluttered and coughed as he was pulled from that terrible place in his dreams by a soothing voice and a gentle hand through his hair. He awoke coughing and spluttering and he rolled to the side and fell off his bed as his lungs pulled for oxygen and his body begged for mercy. He hit the ground with a thump as his body continued its quest for air.

He could feel the room around him, the floor beneath him as his lungs dragged the stuff in. He felt so repulsed and violated by his dream, as if he himself had something done to him in this world that left him in such a state. As he dragged oxygen into his lungs he felt something soft and warm scoop him up and hold him in a tender and gentle embrace.

The same hand that he had felt in his dreams was weaving into his hair now as he heard the puff of breath against his ear that conveyed someone was trying to say something to him, though his body was so disorientated that he couldn't tell what it was, only that it was directed at him.

The second the red head hit the ground some part deep inside Naruto had taken over. A part of him that wanted to soothe, to hold, to comfort and to make all the red heads problem better. He instantly pulled Gaara to his body and wrapped his arms around him when he hit the ground. The hair that he twirled around his fingers came via instinct and his own personal preference.

Eventually Gaara's quaking body began to subside to trembles as he began to breathe easier and he began to take in his surroundings. He was aware that he was in his room, on the ground but he was in somebody's arms. He thought it was Kankuro, though the chest felt smaller and the arms were slightly firmer. He looked up, and instead of his brothers chocolate eyes, he saw sapphire blue.

Gaara tried to jerk away, though it was difficult due to the fact that his body wasn't working as well as it should've been. He stood, and then stumbled back towards the ground as he tried to pull himself together. He turned back and saw the blonde walking towards him. Naruto sat down and put one arm around Gaara's shoulders, who was on all fours, and pulled him into his lap and wrapped his arms around his waist.

"You're trembling" Naruto commented as he placed his chin on top of Gaara's head.

Gaara gave no reply to Naruto; he simply stayed stone cold in the embrace.

"You don't have to be scared; I'm only trying to help you. When I snuck in and saw you like that you gave me one hell of a scare" Naruto told him as he pet the blood red locks thoughtfully.

Gaara subconsciously snuggled closer when Naruto said he wasn't going to hurt him. Part of him knew he wouldn't lay a hand on him to hurt him, though he was slightly wary, he needed to hear the person say it. Gaara snuggled against the chest near his ear as his trembles slowly subsided and his breath returned to normal.

"Feeling better?" Naruto asked cheerfully as he looked down at the now calmer teen.

"Yeah" Gaara said softly as he disentangled himself from Naruto and stood up.

From his view point on the floor and the rising sun that came through the open window the red head truly was a spectacle to behold. There wasn't much muscle on his back or his body, but he was slim and lean which gave him a figure to kill for.

"Is something wrong?" Gaara asked from above Naruto as he looked down at his stunned face.

Shaking himself from the thoughts of beauty and grace that ran through his head Naruto grinned and shook his head.

"You better hurry, the others are waiting outside, I'm guessing their pretty pissed by now" Naruto told Gaara as the red head grabbed a pair of black jeans and a black top with red and black striped sleeves of the floor.

"What other stuff do I need?" Gaara asked as Naruto turned around to give Gaara some privacy as he prepared to change his underwear.

"Just some money, fifty bucks at the most" Naruto said to him as he heard the rustle of clothes sliding against skin behind his back.

"Can I turn around now?" the blond asked after a couple of seconds.

"Sure" came the reply as he heard footsteps approaching him.

Naruto turned around to see the red head walking towards him with him just buckling up a dark leather choker around his neck. The overall look on him was stunning. Quietly creeping downstairs and out the front door with the red head in tow the two of them made their way to the kombi van parked out front.

"About fucking time" Kiba grumbled as the red head slid open the panel door and sat down on the floor where the seats had been stripped out.

A mattress, a blanket and fast food wrappers littered the floor of the van whilst two wetsuits hung on hangers from the ceiling rails. Gaara couldn't help but smile slightly at the sight of it. The van lurched as Kiba accelerated and the car took off down the dirt driveway that led to the road. From there they headed south towards the beach.

"So what took you two dandies so long to get out of there?" Kiba asked with a sly grin on his face as he leered at Gaara in the back.

"Sleeps like a brick you stupid mutt breath" Naruto grumbled.

"I take offence to that" Kiba scoffed and for emphasis Akamaru barked from his lap.

Gaara gave a small start when he heard the small puppy bark and craned to get a look at it. The cute little thing sat on Kiba's lap as he drove, its white fur bristling in the breeze coming through the open window.

"It isn't like you can disagree with me" Naruto laughed as he rolled his window down to let in the cool morning breeze.

"Yeah well shut up" Kiba grumbled as he gazed moodily out the windscreen at the road ahead of them.

15 minutes of driving brought them to the Yondaime tip, a 700 meter stretch of coast line that was sectioned by two walls of rock on either side of the sand.

"Swells good today, shame you aint surfin' it boys" Kiba chuckled as he grabbed his wetsuit and walked towards the change rooms.

"I wouldn't be envious of them" Shikamaru told Gaara quietly "the water'll be so cold his crotch won't know what hit it."

Gaara giggled as he pushed open the back doors of the van so that he could watch the waves and, more importantly, Naruto. Eventually Kiba walked out of the change rooms with the blond in tow and let out a hoot as he walked down to the beach. Naruto gave Gaara a small wave and a smile as he ran towards the waves as they crashed out at sea.

Naruto dived into the ocean with his board under him as he paddled out towards a rip and shot out to the breaking waves, the brunette dog lover close to his heels.

Akamaru nuzzled against Gaara's hand as it looked up at him and wagged its tail. Smiling at the puppy Gaara gave it a rub behind its ears and cuddled up against his leg.

"You, my friend, have made a life long friend" Shikamaru told Gaara as he watched the puppy nuzzle up against him and a small smile played with his lips.

Gaara turned his gaze back to the ocean and watched as the blond began to catch a wave. At first he paddled ahead of it and then stood up as it surged behind him. With a quick twist of his legs, feet and hips he turned the board and glided across the face of it with ease. The wave would have to have been seven foot tall and yet Naruto appeared to be dancing along it.

Naruto gracefully glided and then twisted over the top in a graceful maneuver and shot out to the flat ocean. The next wave Kiba caught and he hooted and whooped with glee as he threw his head back as he rode the wave, before being cut off at the knees by a slab of water and going face first into the ocean. He was dragged as the wave broke, before bobbing up and inhaling heavily. Naruto's laughter could be seen by Gaara as he watched the blonde sitting on his board and laughing at the dog lover, before he was promptly given the finger and told to fuck off.

That morning at the tip Gaara and Shikamaru catch the early sets of the morning. A few hours in as the chill of the sea and arctic winds had Gaara huddled and shivering in the van, imagining how much worse it would have been in the ocean when Shikamaru handed him a blanket.

"You look like you could use this" the Nara said with a small smile and Gaara thankfully wrapped it around his shoulders.

At around 9 o clock the two boys headed for the shore line and ran up to the kombi van shivering.

"Fucking hell" Kiba shouted as he shivered and grabbed his towel.

"See?" Shikamaru said to Gaara and nudged him with his elbow "what did I tell you?"

"What, tell 'im what?" Kiba whined as he made a kicked puppy face.

"That you would freeze your balls off" Shikamaru replied bluntly.

"Like he has balls to freeze off in the first place" Naruto said, chuckling, as he grabbed his towel and walked towards the change rooms

Kiba followed the blond grumbling something about castration as Shikamaru swaddled himself in his blanket and waited for the return of the two teenagers to return. A few minutes later the two of them walked out shivering.

"Toss me a blanket would ya?" Kiba called to Shikamaru as he clambered into the van with Naruto behind him and wrapped the blanket around his own shivering form.

"Mind if I join you?" Naruto asked as he moved next to Gaara and huddled underneath the red head's blanket.

Gaara obliged him as he snuggled close to Gaara and let out a content hum.

"You're warm" he noted "like a heater. I gotta say I really like it."

Gaara blushed as he hid it with the blanket so that the red wouldn't show on his porcelain cheeks. For the next few hours the four of them talked and joked as they watched the bay and the swimmers and surfers who came and went. Eventually Kiba hefted himself from his place on the floor and Shikamaru followed him to the front seat.

"C'mon, let's get back before I freeze to death out here" Kiba said harshly as he started the van and Naruto closed the back doors.

"Nice to know you're thinking of the rest of us" Naruto replied as he slammed the doors closed.

The van lurched as it accelerated and Kiba drove it up north. The drive took them through the town and out to the other side of the town. 5 minutes out of town they came to a large house that was supported off the ground by several colossal wooden logs. Stairs led up to a verandah that encompassed the entire outside of the house and the house itself. It looked absolutely huge.

"You live here?" Gaara asked in wonder as he looked up at the giant holiday house and wondered how it was built, and how much it cost.

"Yeah, sweet huh?" Naruto replied as he walked up the steps.

"Well ya gonna get inside or are ya just gonna gawk at it?" Kiba asked when Gaara kept his eyes on the place.

Jolting out of his reverence of the elevated house with embarrassment he climbed the stairs to the top of the house. He followed the others through the front door and through a hallway that led to a dining area/kitchen and then to a large lounge room with comfortable leather couches and bean bag chairs. There were a few small hallways that led to bedrooms and bathrooms and the study.

"Home sweet home" Naruto said with a sense of familiarity as he dropped down on a couch and the two brunettes landed on the bean bag chairs.

Gaara sat on the opposite end of the couch from Naruto as he listened to their conversations for a few hours. He laughed at the funny parts, but mostly just listened in and watched the forest that could be seen from the lounge room window. When night came Kiba grinned and walked down one of the small halls, which presumably led to his room and returned with a bag of green plant stuff and cigarette looking rolls.

"And as per usual" the brunette said with a grin as he took a drag from one in his mouth and blew it out in the air, the smell was enough to turn Gaara almost green.

"What is that?" Gaara asked as he kept down the urge to cough and gag.

"This is grade A cannabis, better know as weed" Kiba said as he took another puff "and aint it just fucking dandy. C'mon take a puff" Kiba said as he handed one to him.

"No thanks"

"Oh well more for us three" Kiba said happily as he handed one to Shikamaru.

"Make it two tonight" Naruto said and Kiba turned to look at him.

"Oh really? And why would that be? Hoping to impress cute stock over here by being clean?" Kiba asked mockingly as he pointed at Gaara.

"Piss off" Naruto mumbled, loud enough for Kiba to hear.

"Why?" the brunette asked, now stoned "you were going on how excited you were because he was coming, it's so fucking obvious man that you li…"

"Fuck off Kiba" Naruto ground out dangerously "why don't you go and fuck Shikamaru or something?" Naruto suggested and Kiba smirked before walking to his room, Shikamaru behind him.

As the sound of their door closing sounded through the house Naruto curled his legs up to his chin and placed his knees on top of them and tried to bore a hole in the rug on the floor with his eyes. Gaara sat on the opposite end of the couch and watched Naruto. He seemed genuinely upset at Kiba as he continued his death stare at the rug.

He was pissed at the wild dog lover to say the least. He had told Kiba about his little crush on Gaara in confidence. The kind where you don't get stoned and tell somebody someone else's secrets.

"Do you want me to go?" Gaara asked timidly as he watched Naruto, nervous that he would snap at him.

"No, it's alright" Naruto said as he took a breath to cool down before he ushered Gaara over to him.

Gaara hesitantly stood up and then walked towards where Naruto was sitting and sat down beside him.

"Is it true? What Kiba said" Gaara asked before he asked quieter "do you like me?"

"Yes I do Gaara, I like you very much. What? Did you think I called you cutie just for laughs?" Naruto asked as he chuckled, which put Gaara at ease slightly.

"You're not mad?" Gaara asked as he looked at him.

"Nah, I'm slightly annoyed that I couldn't tell you the traditional teenage way. You know with awkward stutters and that nervous feeling" Naruto replied cheerily as he turned the TV on and the volume up.

"Why'd you turn the volume up?" Gaara asked

"Aaaaany second now" Naruto replied before a moan was heard coming form the door Kiba had just entered.

"Oh" Gaara said quietly, causing Naruto to laugh as he slung his arm around the redhead.

"So is that why you were so protective this morning?" Gaara asked as he tried to block out the sounds of Kiba and Shikamaru having sex in the other room.

"A bit, it was a good excuse, but seeing you like that hurt a little bit. I don't know why" Naruto said "but I don't want to see you like that again."

Gaara cuddled into Naruto's side as he watched TV. Between the warmth of the blond, the gentle beat of his heart and the feeling of his fingers through his hair the red head dropped off to sleep in just under an hour.

---xxx---

AN: Again I'm so very sorry for the lateness, I will do better next time


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